When economic times get tough or international conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine War throw the markets for a loop, investors often turn to gold as a safe haven. With inflation spiking and the stock market trading well below its highs, some investors are looking for a safe asset that has a proven track record of … Read more
Xinhua News Agency/Contributor/Getty Images Stocks are volatile. That much is understood by most investors, but what exactly is volatility and how is it measured for the overall stock market? You may have seen references to something called the VIX, an index that measures volatility, during times of extreme financial stress. Understanding it all can be … Read more
Ricardo Ceppi/Contributor/Getty Images Bitcoin gets all the headlines when people talk about cryptocurrencies, but there are literally thousands of other options when it comes to these digital currencies. In fact, cryptos that aren’t Bitcoin are usually considered an “also ran” – what are called “altcoins,” or alternatives to Bitcoin. While Bitcoin may have been the … Read more
It’s a question you’ll frequently hear during any program discussing the latest financial news: “What did the market do today?” The answer often includes a reference to an index such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq. But what are these? And what distinguishes one from the other? What are … Read more
Options are among the most popular vehicles for traders, because their price can move fast, making (or losing) a lot of money quickly. Options strategies can range from quite simple to very complex, with a variety of payoffs and sometimes odd names. (Iron condor, anyone?) Regardless of their complexity, all options strategies are based on … Read more
Prasit photo/Getty Images A brokerage account is an account that allows you to purchase securities like stocks, bonds, cryptocurrency, mutual funds and ETFs. By investing in these assets through a brokerage account, you can build significant wealth over time. Opening a brokerage account makes sense for people who have additional savings after building an emergency … Read more
Despite its well-known volatility, cryptocurrency is on fire and many investors are looking to profit on its white-hot rise. Cryptos such as Bitcoin and Ethereum ebb for a while and then climb higher, and many other popular digital currencies are doing so, too. Experienced traders have been speculating on crypto for years, but what if … Read more
Thomas Barwick/Getty Images Financial advice can be a bit of a Catch-22 — you often need it when money is tight, but financial advisors usually charge fees for their services. And because money is tight, you may not be able to afford that cost. Fortunately, there are many ways you can find financial advice that … Read more
If you’re not an expert in money matters, choosing a financial advisor to manage your money life can be a tough decision. It’s almost impossible to know every financial arena well because they can be so specialized. Estate planning is completely different from picking the right investments, for example. Managing a portfolio is different from … Read more
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that’s encountered some wild swings in its price since it was first introduced in 2009. It’s been a roller coaster ride, especially in the last few years, and many traders have plunged into bitcoins, with some having made millions, while others have suffered great losses. If you’re considering this decentralized version … Read more